Imaginary Worlds: Plants Larger than Life opens to the public Saturday, May 4. The showcase of 19 plant sculptures is the creation of International Mosaiculture of Montreal, a nonprofit organization that specializes in the centuries-old horticultural art of mosaiculture.

"This is an exhibit that makes me feel like a little kid again because it is so awesome," said Mary Pat Matheson, president of the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

The sculptures include a giant unicorn, an ogre, cobras, butterflies, bunnies and the showstopper: Earth Goddess, a 25 feet tall plant sculpture of a woman whose hand extends over a huge water feature.

Each piece is a living sculpture. Their steel frames are covered with a special fabric that contains planting pockets for plugging in thousands of tiny plants, according to its designers. The plants are meticulously groomed to maintain the piece's form.

"It is just a phenomenal exhibit," said Matheson. "And it's the first time it's ever been in the United States. So we're proud to be bringing something this wonderful and really world-class to our city."